Method and Apparatus for the Transmission of Data

1. A method for the transmission of data between a first location and a second location, the method comprising: a) transmitting the data in a first operating mode on a plurality of first frequency bands, the plurality of first frequency bands including first downstream frequency bands for transmitting data from the first location to the second location and first upstream frequency bands for transmitting data from the second location to the first location; b) transmitting the data in a second operating mode on a plurality of second frequency bands, the plurality of second frequency bands including second downstream frequency bands for transmitting data from the first location to the second location and second upstream frequency bands for transmitting data from the second location to the first location, wherein a number of the plurality of first frequency bands is greater than a number of the plurality of second frequency bands; and c) switching between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in dependence on a quantity of data to be transmitted.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second frequency bands are respectively formed by combination of a number of first frequency bands.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein step b) further comprises transmitting data on the plurality of second frequency bands by modulating data alternatingly onto one of the number of first frequency bands combined to form the plurality of second frequency bands.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising a step of determining, in dependence on the quantity of data to be transmitted, the number of the first frequency bands that are combined to form respectively one of the second frequency bands.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step c) further comprises: c1) switching to the first operating mode if the quantity of the data to be transmitted exceeds a first threshold value, and c2) switching to the second operating mode if the quantity of the data to be transmitted falls below a second threshold value which is less than or equal to the first threshold value.

6. The method according to claim 1 , step a) further comprises transmitting the data in the first operating mode on the plurality of first frequency bands by modulating the data on the first frequency bands and performing an inverse Fourier transformation.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein step a) further comprises modulating the data using discrete multitone modulation.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step b) further comprises transmitting the data repeatedly in the second operating mode.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the number of the second frequency bands is less, by a factor N, than the number of the first frequency bands, and wherein step b) further comprises transmitting the data N times in the second operating mode.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein step b) further comprises modulating the data on the second frequency bands and performing an inverse Fourier transformation, and transmitting the result of the inverse Fourier transformation repeatedly.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising: receiving the transmitted data; performing an assigned Fourier transformation with only one repetition of the repeatedly transmitted data.

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: reducing a transmission power of the repeatedly transmitted data; receiving the repeatedly transmitted data; and generating a mean value of the repeatedly transmitted data.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein step b) further comprises transmitting the data repeatedly in the second operating mode according to the VDSL Standard, repetitive portions of the repeatedly transmitted data being combined with a common prefix and a common suffix.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step a) further comprises transmitting the data according to the VDSL Standard.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step c) further comprises switching between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in dependence on a quantity of data to be transmitted, the first operating mode used in the case of a greater quantity of data to be transmitted, and the second operating mode used in the case of a lesser quantity of data to be transmitted.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first operating mode and the second operating mode employ the same data transmission standard.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein switching between the first operating mode and the second operating mode based on a level of power consumption of devices used to transmit and receive the data for the first and the second locations.

18. An apparatus for the transmission of data between a first location and a second location, the apparatus comprising: a digital transmitter circuit operable to generate a data transmission signal in a first operating mode in a plurality of first frequency bands, the plurality of first frequency bands including first downstream frequency bands for transmitting data from the first location to the second location and first upstream frequency bands for transmitting data from the second location to the first location, and further operable to generate a data transmission signal in a second operating mode in a plurality of second frequency bands, the plurality of second frequency bands including second downstream frequency bands for use by the first digital transmitter circuit and second upstream frequency bands for use by the second digital transmitter circuit wherein a total number of the first frequency bands is greater than a total number of the second frequency bands, and wherein the digital transmitter circuit switches between the first operating mode and the second operating mode in dependence on a quantity of data to be transmitted; an analog transmitter circuit operable to convert the data transmission signal to an analog transmission signal.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the digital transmitter circuit is further operable to combine a number of the first frequency bands to form the second frequency bands.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein in the second operating mode, the digital transmitter circuit is operable generate a data transmission signal in a second operating mode in a plurality of second frequency bands alternately in one of the corresponding first frequency bands.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the number of the first frequency bands that are combined to form respectively one of the second frequency bands is determined in dependence on the quantity of data to be transmitted.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein switchover to the first operating mode is effected if the quantity of the data to be transmitted exceeds a first threshold value, and switchover to the second operating mode is effected if the quantity of the data to be transmitted falls below a second threshold value which is less than or equal to the first threshold value.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the digital transmitter circuit further comprises: a framing device operable to modulate the data to be transmitted on the first frequency bands and the second frequency bands; an inverse Fourier transformation device operable to convert the modulated data into a chronological sequence.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the framing device is further operable to modulate the data using discrete multitone modulation.

25. The apparatus according to claim 18 , digital transmitter circuit is further operable to generate the data transmission signal such that the data transmission signal comprises repetitive occurrences of the data in the second operating mode.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the number of the second frequency bands is less, by a factor N, than the number of the first frequency bands, and wherein in the second operating mode, the data transmission signal includes N repetitive occurrences of the data.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the digital transmitter circuit further comprises: a framing device operable to modulate the data to be transmitted on the first frequency bands and the second frequency bands; an inverse Fourier transformation device operable to convert the modulated data into a chronological sequence, and wherein the data transmission signal includes repetitive occurrences of a single occurrence of converted modulated data.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25 , the analog transmitter circuit is further operable to amplify the data transmission signal with less power in the second operating mode than in the first operating power.

29. The apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the digital transmitter circuit is further operable to generate the data transmission signal such that the data transmission signal comprises repetitive occurrences of the data combined with a prefix and a suffix.

30. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the digital transmitter circuit and the analog transmitter circuit cooperate to generate the analog transmission signal in accordance with the VDSL Standard.

31. Apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the digital transmitter circuit operates in the first operating mode in the case of a greater quantity of data to be transmitted, and the digital transmitter circuit operates in the second operating mode in the case of a lesser quantity of data to be transmitted.

32. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the first operating mode and the second operating mode employ the same data transmission standard.

33. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the digital transmitter circuit is switched between the first operating mode and the second operating mode based on power consumption used to transmit and receive data for the first and the second locations.